CLMS National Collaboration Programme – Italy

On 9 October 2024, during the European Environment Agency’s country visit to Italy, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ISPRA and the European Environment Agency (EEA), with a duration of 18 months. The agreement aims to strengthen cooperation between Italy and the Agency within the framework of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) and to define the modalities of this collaboration.

These cooperation activities represent an important opportunity to consolidate collaboration with the EEA in the areas of information sharing, training, and the development of monitoring products based on the needs of national users. They are part of the National Collaboration Programme (NCP) framework that European entrusted entities are signing with Member States following the guidance of the European Commission.

Objectives of the NCP for CLMS

• Increase the use of the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service (CLMS) at national and sub-national levels, also through the EIONET network.

• Ensure the involvement of Member States in the evolution of the service through user feedback on the quality and suitability of CLMS products.

• Collect user requirements at national and sub-national levels, involving not only public authorities but also the scientific community. Participants will include the Copernicus National User Forum (FNUC), the Copernicus Academy, and the Copernicus Relays.

Implementation Phases

The NCPfor the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service will run from 2024 to 2027 and will be implemented in two phases:

• Phase I: from late 2024 to early 2026, involving five countries.

• Phase II: from mid-2026 to the end of 2027, including the remaining participating countries.

Among the first five countries participating in Phase I is Italy, represented by ISPRA. The other countries are the Netherlands, Estonia, Spain, and Germany. ISPRA was invited to join the initiative due to its role as National Focal Point of the Eionet network.

The structure of the CLMS NCP is common to all Member States, while the details of collaboration with each country are defined in the individual Memoranda of Understanding, based on mandatory and optional modules.

The mandatory modules include:

• The development of use cases related to the use of CLMS products (maximum of two per country).

• The organization of at least two national-level meetings.

The first use case proposed by ISPRA concerns the development of a national land cover map, created by integrating CLMS products with the SNPA national land consumption map.

The first national meeting was held online on 5 March 2025 and focused on land cover and land use for territorial monitoring. It involved more than 100 users from national institutions and local authorities interested in exploring and learning more about CLMS data and products.

Regarding optional modules, Italy joined training sessions organized by the EEA and international focus teams.

The first training session, titled “HRL Vegetated Land Cover Characteristics,” took place on 19 November 2025. The course focused on the use of high-resolution products for monitoring forests, grasslands, pastures, and agricultural crops.

A selected group of 80 users from the public administration participated, including technicians and administrators from national and local authorities. The event provided detailed information on new vegetation monitoring products developed through the integration of remote sensing and in-situ data.

The second training session, titled “Copernicus CLMS: Focus on Bio-Geophysical Variables,” was held on 27 February 2026.

The online event, organized by ISPRA in collaboration with the European Environment Agency (EEA) and the Spanish National Geographic Institute (CNIG/IGN), brought together more than 200 international participants, confirming the growing interest in high-resolution satellite data for environmental monitoring and land protection.

The event provided a comprehensive overview of HR-VPP products available at the European level for monitoring vegetation, water, snow, and ice, along with updates on historical time series, real-time data, and the current status of the EU-Hydro dataset, the reference dataset for European hydrography.

Particularly appreciated was the section dedicated to practical applications of CLMS data and products, including:

• Monitoring the damage caused by Storm Vaia using NDVI indices.

• Soil moisture analysis in the Po Valley.

• Surface drainage modelling, integrating the Copernicus DEM with national hydrographic networks.

The meeting also helped identify technical requirements needed to better align CLMS products with the specific needs of user communities.

Focus teams represent working groups dedicated to methodological exchange and in-depth discussion on land cover and land use products. These groups operate across participating countries, fostering collaboration and knowledge sharing.

Another optional module welcomed by Italy involves the placement of PhD students from Italian universities at the European Environment Agency, promoting academic exchange and capacity building.

The final event of the CLMS National Collaboration Programme will take place in Rome on 20 March 2026. Hosted by ISPRA, the event will be held in hybrid format and will include the in-person participation of an expert from the European Environment Agency (EEA).

This meeting will provide a key opportunity to review the results achieved and outline future directions for land monitoring in Italy.